The Great Buddhist Sanchi Stupa In Bhopal

Sanchi Stupa In Bhopal 

The Great Sanchi Stupa In Bhopal MP is a Buddhist monument built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. This massive monument attracts thousands of visitors every year. The main stupa is surrounded by the ruins of smaller stupas, monasteries, and temples, which popped up as more people joined the religious community over the centuries.

Originally, Ashoka’s stupa wasn’t as grand as it is now. It was about half the current size and made of big bricks. Fast forward about 50 years after Ashoka’s death, and the Sunga dynasty decided to carry this forward. They used local sandstone to make it bigger and fancier. And those gateways? They came even later, in the 1st century BC.

So, in a nutshell, the Great Stupa at Sanchi started as a modest monument and glow-up over the years. And today, it is one of the most popular Buddhist heritage.

Sanchi Stupa History

Ashoka picked a beautiful hilltop and decided to build a grand Stupa, which is like a giant dome-shaped monument. He wanted it to be a place where people could come and feel the peace of Buddhism. So, with bricks and mud mortar, he established this stupa. The original Stupa wasn’t as grand as it is now. 

Sanchi Stupa history was not yet completed, years passed, and about 50 years after Ashoka’s time, the Sunga dynasty took over. They brought in local sandstone and made the Stupa bigger. They even added some carved gateways in the 1st century BC and made the Stupa look even more impressive.

Around the main Stupa, other smaller stupas, monasteries, and temples started popping up as the religious community grew. Today, the Great Sanchi Stupa Madhya Pradesh is a magnificent Buddhist monument.